Takai by Kashiba sits in downtown Bellevue, carrying the name of Shiro Kashiba alongside the chef who trained under him, Jun Takai. Takai's path started at his uncle's fish markets in Kyoto, then moved through sushi restaurants in Tokyo and Yokohama before Kashiba recruited him to continue his training. That background shows in the sourcing: fish comes from Pacific Northwest waters as well as longtime contacts back in Japan's fish markets.
The room centers on a sushi counter, and regulars tend to favor those seats over the tables for a closer view of the fish being cut and plated. Service and pacing draw consistent praise, and the fish quality and presentation get singled out often, though execution reportedly varies night to night and the price-to-experience value is a recurring point of debate.
The Infatuation scored it 8.8 out of 10.
The room centers on a sushi counter, and regulars tend to favor those seats over the tables for a closer view of the fish being cut and plated. Service and pacing draw consistent praise, and the fish quality and presentation get singled out often, though execution reportedly varies night to night and the price-to-experience value is a recurring point of debate.
The Infatuation scored it 8.8 out of 10.